BRADENTON, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2017) - The U.S. U-15 Boys’ National Team advanced to its first-ever CONCACAF U-15 Championship Final with a 3-0 victory over Panama. The USA went up early and never looked back with goals from Giovanni Reyna, Julian Gaines and Gianluca Busio.

The semifinal victory continues a dominant tournament run for the U-15s. The team has only trailed for 12 total minutes in its four tournament games, allowing only one goal. Reyna opened up the scoring for the USA in the sixth minute, giving the the team a lead it would not relinquish. Just before the halftime break, Lonestar S.C.’s Gaines netted to give the U.S. a 2-0 lead. Busio closed out the scoring for the U.S. with a goal in the 37th minute, his fifth of the tournament.

The U-15’s now advance to face Mexico in the CONCACAF Championship Final on Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. ET Mexico has been similarly dominant in the tournament- not allowing a single goal and boasting a plus-13 goal differential heading into the final.

CHICAGO (Aug. 17, 2017) – U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth has named a 22-player roster that will head to Prague, Czech Republic for the 2017 Vaclav Jezek Youth Tournament from Aug. 21-27.

“Following our two recent domestic training camps, this tournament will challenge our team with four tough international matches in five days,” Hackworth said. “We were able to get almost all of the players we requested released for this trip, so that will help us as we continue to prepare for the World Cup in India.”

The U-17’s will begin play Tuesday, Aug. 22, when they face Hungary. The team will play again the following day against Russia and will conclude Group B play on Aug. 24 against Japan. The opponent for a final placement game, which will be played on Saturday, Aug. 26, will be determined following the conclusion of group play.

The U.S. competed with its U-18 team in this tournament a year ago, defeating host Czech Republic 4-2 in the final to win the championship.

The trip will serve as part of the U-17’s continued preparation for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India, where the team has been grouped with host India, Ghana and Colombia. The USA kicks off with the first game of Group A play on Oct. 6 against India.

Of the 22 players called up for the tournament, a total of 21 have registered at least one season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Seven have competed in four seasons in the Academy: Carlos Asensio, Chris Gloster, Jaylin Lindsey, Ulysses Llanez, Alejandro Pereira, Josh Sargent and Tyler Shaver. A total of 19 players were born in 2000, making 2001-born players Taylor Booth, Llanez and Indiana Vassilev the youngest in the group.

Seventeen of the players on the roster were part of the team that finished second at the 2017 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, which serves as the U-17’s World Cup qualifying tournament.

The U.S. U-15 Boys’ National Team has finished first in Group B at the CONCACAF U-15 Boys’ Championship in Bradenton, Florida. Check out more on the team’s undefeated three-match run to the knockout round:

CANADA

The U.S. U-15 BNT used a brace from Gianluca Busio to top Canada in its first match of the 2017 CONCACAF U-15 Boys’ Championship.
Busio scored in back-to-back minutes to give the U.S. the victory over the Canucks, scoring in the 34th and 35th minute. The Sporting KC forward also notched three goals for the U-15’s earlier this year at the Torneo delle Nazioni in Italy.

2017 marks the second-ever CONCACAF U-15 Championship and the first time that the U.S. has participated. If the USA finishes first or second in Group B, the team will advance to the tournament semifinals next week.

The U.S. U-15 BNT turned in a dominating performance to defeat Trinidad & Tobago 6-0 in its second group game of the 2017 CONCACAF U-15 Boys’ Championship. Gianluca Busio turned in his second brace, Alfonso Ocampo Chavez added two goals, and Giovanni Reyna and Cesar Garcia also netted for the USA.

The U.S. opened up the scoring in a fast and furious manner, as Reyna scored in the third minute and Ocampo Chavez earned his brace with goals in the fourth and eighth minute marks, giving the U.S. a 3-0 lead before the ten-minute mark. Busio added a goal before halftime to put the BNT up 4-0. A score from Garcia and another from Busio in the final minute, his fourth of the tournament, closed out the scoring for the U.S.

With the victory, the U.S. is firmly in place for a top-2 finish in the group, which would secure a berth in the semifinals on Thursday.

The U.S. U-15 BNT secured first place in Group B of the 2017 CONCACAF U-15 Boys’ Championship with a 4-1 victory over Costa Rica. The USA suffered its first deficit of the tournament, but roared back with four straight goals to finish atop the group.

Costa Rica opened up the scoring as Geancarlo Castro netted in the eighth minute. Playing behind for the first time in the competition, the U.S. responded as Joseph Scally scored in the 20th minute to tie it up.

After the half, Julian Gaines netted the eventual game-winner in the 44th minute and Mason Judge added an insurance goal in the 51st. A Costa Rica own goal provided the fourth U.S. goal and a strong, +11, goal differential through the tournamant’s group stage.

After finishing the group stage with an undefeated record, the U.S. advances to Thursday’s semifinal, where the team will face Group A runner-up Panama at 11 a.m. on Univision Deportes.

After competing in last summer’s Paralympics, the U.S. Paralympic National Soccer Team (PNT) is set to begin a new competition cycle at the IFPC CP Football World Championships in San Luis, Argentina, in September.

The tournament features a total of 16 teams, eight of which competed in Rio de Janeiro, dividing them into groups of four for the opening round. This month’s draw placed the PNT in Group D alongside Ukraine, the strongest side in 7-a-side Paralympic soccer, Northern Ireland and Australia.

Ukraine

The Ukrainians enter as reigning champions of the sport’s biggest competition (Paralympics) and current No. 1 team in the world. The European powerhouse has won or finished as runner-up in every Paralympics that they have entered. Its lowest recorded world ranking is No. 2.

Last year’s squad rolled through the Paralympics, winning every match with a plus-13 goal differential, never allowing more than one goal in a game, nor trailing. The Yellow-Blue was similarly dominant in a silver medal finish at the last World Championships in 2015, a stretch that featured a 16-0 rout of Japan and only two goals against over the course of the tournament. Ukraine was the first country in the world to sponsor full-time residency for its CP soccer team, a key catalyst for the team’s incredible success.

The U.S. PNT saw the Ukrainians at a pre-Paralympic tournament last June in the Netherlands, falling 9-0 and 5-0 in the two matches. With a new-look U.S. team at its highest ranking yet, the PNT will look to battle for a result in Argentina.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is a team on the brink of a breakout. Currently ranked No. 13 in the world, the Green and White Army seems poised to crack the top 10. Playing a physical style that’s complimented with technical ability, the team was the strongest No. 3 seed in the tournament draw and is coached by an experienced staff, including former Manchester United and Northern Ireland captain Mal Donaghy.

The team clinched its spot in the World Championships with a fifth-place finish at last summer’s Qualification Tournament in Vejen, Denmark. Northern Ireland finished 14th at the 2015 World Championships and eighth at the last European Championships in 2014.

While the team doesn’t have a full-time residency, nearly the whole roster is located near Belfast, allowing for frequent training sessions with the entire squad. U.S. PNT head coach Stuart Sharp is very familiar with the Norn Iron, having served as head coach of the Scottish National CP Team from 2005-2011. He garnered results against Northern Ireland in his time in the United Kingdom, and he’ll look to continue that success in September.

Australia

The Pararoos are flying high thanks to a brand-new sponsorship deal that will allow the team to train together full-time. Australian health company Zest Care announced a partnership with the squad last March, signaling an influx of resources to help the team better compete on the international stage. They’ve also instituted a nationwide regional structure to facilitate the program’s organization and reach.

Head coach Kai Lammert has been with the team since 2006 and in the top job since 2011. Hailing from Germany, Lammert has instilled an unpredictable style of play with a vicious counterattack. The Aussies qualified for the World Championships with a sixth-place finish at the Qualification Tournament. They are currently ranked No. 16 in the world and No. 3 in the Asia-Oceania region.

United States

The USA is currently ranked No. 6 in the world, its highest-ever ranking after an undefeated mark in four challenge matches this year. In a June series, the PNT took down Chile 6-0 and 10-0 in South America. Last month, the team played its first home matches since 2014 in Lakewood Ranch, Florida against Canada, a potential knockout round opponent at the World Championships, recording a hard-fought 2-2 draw and impressive 3-1 win.

After a seventh-place finish at the Paralympics, the U.S. has several fresh faces that have made a huge impact in this summer’s challenge matches. Leading the way looks to be Nick Mayhugh, a Division I college player who has notched two multi-goal games in his first four international contests.

While a number of injuries mean that the Americans will enter the tournament at less than full strength, a primary goal is advancement from the group stage, guaranteeing a top-eight finish and a spot in the 2019 IFCPF World Cup in Pinto, Spain.

The Elm City Express of New Haven, Conn. claimed the 2017 NPSL Championship over the weekend with a 5-0 rout of Midland-Odessa FC (Midland, Texas) at Yale University’s Reese Stadium. In the team’s inaugural season, Elm City rode a dominant run through the Regional and National Playoffs to take home the NPSL title. The Express are the 15th team to win the league in its 15 years of existence.

The final was played before a crowd of over 3,000 – Elm City’s biggest of the season – and the Express gave the New Haven faithful a satisfying conclusion to the team’s remarkable postseason run. Elm City allowed only one goal in its four playoff victories, finishing with a goal differential of plus-13. The Express dropped just one match of its full 17-game 2017 campaign.

“It’s massive for us…We talked about going on a run and doing something special,” Elm City head coach and 2017 NPSL Coach of the Year, Teddy Haley said. “It started with the ownership group and the management group doing it the right way from the beginning, putting together a collection of players that bought into what we wanted to do and the vision of it. The team worked really hard to get better every week and stay together, grow together.”

Tavoy “The Bull” Morgan opened up the scoring for the Express, evading four Midland-Odessa defenders on a run before slotting one in towards the far post. Morgan added another score just before halftime to put the Express up 2-0. The game-winning brace earned him Man of the Match honors, another accolade on the season that saw him named to the Northeast Region Best XI and the All-NPSL third team.

The rout was on late in the second half, as Elm City scored three goals in 15 minutes to close out the game. Quenton Swift one-timed a beautiful through ball in the 75th minute, Daniel Oliveira launched a rocket in the 80th, and Swift added one more in the 90th for the exclamation point on the victory.

The National Premier Soccer League was founded in 2003 and now includes over 90 teams across the entire country. The NPSL Championship marks the end of a banner year for the league, as 30 teams joined its ranks for 2017. Both of this season’s finalists were new additions to the NPSL, as Elm City completed its inaugural season and Midland-Odessa FC joined the league from the USL Premier Development League.